Holidays and Horcruxes
by Mad as Moody
Summary: Voldemort is on a mission.  His quest for immortality is in a crucial stage.  He  just requires one thing- information.  OneShot.


_Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter. Oh wait a minute, my beta told me that just because I have a battered copy of the Half-Blood Prince, I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters. Thanks for saving me from a horrible lawsuit, Colin Creevey. Plus ten brownie points._

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><p><strong>Holidays and Horcruxes<strong>

A figure in dark robes was walking purposefully along an unpaved road. The people from this hamlet seemed to shy away from him as he walked past. Indeed, even the warm summer air seemed to disappear abruptly within his aura, replaced with a biting cold. A teenaged woman had the misfortune of being the first to bump into him while she was turned in the opposite direction, talking in German to a friend.

She turned abruptly, ready to apologize for her clumsiness, and instantly locked eyes with him. She was shocked to discover that he was but a teenager like herself. He couldn't be a day over seventeen. His dark eyes burned with malice highlighting his angular features, and she took an involuntary step backwards. She saw his hand twitch underneath his robes, and suddenly stifled a laugh. She had only just taken in the absurdity of his clothing. He paused, confused at her change in demeanor, unsure how to proceed. Apparently, he made up his mind and brushed past the girl, muttering under his breath as he passed her. She caught a few words, meaningless to her.

"Stupid statute… underage... secrecy ... muggle filth…" The young man now walked along at a furious pace, while the girl he had encountered was shivering as she recounted what had occurred to her friend. An audible sigh of relief escaped her mouth when he turned sharply, his apparent destination a secluded house.

He walked up the path leading to this house, more of a cottage, really. His hand was still hidden in the depths of his robes, but the door opened immediately when he stepped onto the doormat. Pausing curiously, the teen ran his left hand along the simple wooden doorframe. Apparently he did not find anything, for he strode into the house with a haphazard look on his face. Immediately a pair of hands seized him, and he let them lead him into a small room.

The room was surprisingly well lit with candles lining many of the walls. The hands that had grabbed him had belonged to a large, well-muscled man. The apprehender turned as another man entered the room.

"Was möchten Sie tun? Grindelwald erwartete keine Besucher. Obwohl diese Ausländer ist zu jung, um eine Bedrohung sein," he informed the newest occupant of a now crowded room.

"Eh… let see him. Gellert ist in der Notwendigkeit einer unterhaltsamen Folterung. Bring he," ordered the man, attempting some broken English for his prisoner's benefit.

A grin appeared on the young teen's face as he stared at both of his apprehenders. He began to speak slowly, his beaming smile widening all the while. "I am Voldemort. I am here to speak to Gellert Grindelwald. I am going to speak to him alone. Now. You will stay here, willingly or… by force."

The two men caught the general gist of his statement and began to raise their wands. In a sudden burst of movement, both heavily muscled-men found themselves lying on the ground. In Voldemort's hand were the two wands that had been pointed at his chest only seconds previously.

"There was a choice. It is gone now," Voldemort spat, raising one of the men's wands, "Crucio. I want to feel you scream. Crucio!" Both men were writhing on the ground, whimpering in grunts of pain. Voldemort lifted the curse as the shorter man blacked out. The taller of the two raised his head momentarily, but decided it might not be in his best interest and feigned unconsciousness.

The teen strode over the two bodies carelessly, snapping one of the wands before tossing it behind him. He proceeded cautiously into the house, not willing to be deterred again. Sensing a magical presence, Voldemort made his way down into the basement of the house, gripping the plain wooden banister. Reaching the final step with an ominous creek, Voldemort held the foreign wand with a fierceness that could almost be mistaken as arrogance. He turned slowly, surveying the room he had descended into.

The basement appeared unfinished. The walls were bare of any paint or siding and the floor was dirty. The place smelled of death and decay, which caused Voldemort to wonder what heinious deeds had occurred down in this dungeon of a cellar. The only furniture in the room was a small desk and an occupied chair. Finally looking up to match the gaze of the only occupant of the room, Voldemort saw the wizened face of Gellert Grindelwald.

"What is it you seek?" Grindelwald rasped. He too, held his wand tenderly in his hands, ready to attack on a moment's notice. "To destroy me? You have not a chance. That is a fool's mission, and I do not take you as a fool. To join me? I doubt that, you have already disabled two of my servants. A social visit? Hardly, although I like to entertain that possibility occasionally. No one just wants to visit.

"Anyway, you have remained silent. I am not a patient person. State what you want, before my wand…slips."

Voldemort gazed at Grindelwald a moment longer before a creaking noise caused him to begin speaking.

"I have come, not to destroy or join you, nor for a simple exchange of pleasantries. I have come to, ah, request a certain piece of knowledge." At this, Grindelwald raised his eyebrows slightly, but did not speak. Voldemort continued. "I am sure you have heard of a specific branch of the Dark Arts, that which has to do with… immortality?" A slight nod provoked Voldemort to speak more freely, "I have been on a quest for the past year to find a pathway to immortality. My most viable option seemed to be using a Horcrux." With a wave of his wand, Voldemort presented Grindelwald with an array of his memories. The countless hours poring over books on Horcruxes, the time he spent… training his followers, the Death Eaters, the incidents with the Chamber of Secrets and the Basilisk, and the most recent escapade involving Grindelwald's henchmen; all of this presented to Grindelwald.

"I see. You have quite the future ahead of you, young master. But I will ask you know again, why are you here?" Grindelwald questioned.

"Hogwarts, although the Restricted Section of the library is certainly useful, has not provided for me the spell necessary to create a Horcrux. I am asking for your assistance. Tell me the spell."

Voldemort and Grindelwald once again met each other's eyes. A moment that lasted an eternity passed before Gellert sighed and broke the connection. "Come here," he said slowly. Voldemort walked over stiffly. "Lean closer. You must understand that creating a Horcrux goes against the very human nature. Even I have not attempted such a dangerous feat. You do know that it can kill you? Good. Are you sure you want to proceed down this road? Once you start, there is no going back." Another nod from Voldemort caused Grindelwald to shudder before speaking again. "Make no mistake. This is not any easy task. You understand the need to kill another human, I assume. It must be a magical killing, preferably the Killing Curse. After they have died, the object that will become a Horcrux must be in contact with their flesh. Do you follow me?" Hesitation shone in Grindelwald's eyes, but he continued in is explanation. Put your wand in contact with both the corpse and the object and say…" For a third time, Grindelwald paused. Voldemort's face was glistening in excitement.

Shaking his head sadly, Grindelwald said, "You then must say with conviction, Facorcrux. A…ring of light shall form binding you, the Horcrux, and the corpse. You cannot break this connection, or you will die! Eventually, the light will be absorbed into the Horcrux. The deed will be done."

His face suddenly impassive, Voldemort stood from where he had been kneeling. "You have been of great assistance. It is a pity you have already created your own army, you would have been of great use in mine." Grindelwald bowed his head. "I am going to say these two words that most people never hear from me, in fact rarely has it escaped my lips." At this, Grindelwald leaned back slightly, a hand tightly grasping his wand.

"Thank you."

"You are indeed very welcome… my lord."

In a dark corner of the room, a small boy with piercing blue eyes, unnoticed by the two Dark Lords, had watched the scene unfold. He was silent as he made his way back up the stairs and out the door. What he had witnessed would never leave his memory. He could not forget what happened. Instead, he chose to learn from it.


End file.
